WHO?S HURTThe Ducks are missing D Matt Schneider (ankle), with G Jean-Sebastien Giguere (hernia) and C Sammy Pahlsson (hernia) possible and LW Travis Moen (head) doubtful. For the Bruins [team stats], C Marc Savard (groin strain) is doubtful.
WHO?S HOT For the Ducks, RW Corey Perry has 3-2-5 in five games, LW Chris Kunitz has 3-1-4 and D Francis Beauchemin has 0-4-4. For the B?s, C Patrice Bergeron has 2-0-2 in two games. G Tim Thomas [stats] stopped 35-of-36 shots in his lone start.
WHO?S NOT For Anaheim, C Rob Niedermayer and C Todd Marchant have just 0-1-1 in five games. For the B?s, RW Glen Murray is scoreless, and G Manny Fernandez yielded four goals on 18 shots in his start.
BOTTOM LINE The Ducks are missing a bundle of top players, but remain dangerous - although who knows how to calculate the effect of flying to London and back and playing three tough road games. They could come out sky-high, or utterly flat.
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Julien: Savard ?probably out?
Center Marc Savard rode the stationary bike and said he was feeling better, but his strained groin muscle still has him doubtful for tonight?s game against the Anaheim Ducks.
?He didn?t skate because he?s not ready,? Bruins [team stats] coach Claude Julien said. ?He remains day-to-day, but when you haven?t skated for two days, to be honest, he?s probably out (tonight). I?m not going to say he?s definitely out, because you never know.?
The ripple effect of Savard?s absence likely will send center Glen Metropolit from the fourth line to the top threesome. It?s also possible that third-line right winger Phil Kessel [stats] will see some action as the fourth-line center, and that Brandon Bochenski, a healthy scratch in the first two games, could see his first action.
?I don?t think you have to read too much into set lines,? Julien said. ?There?s room for me to move things around.?
Close calls
The Bruins had two momentary scares during yesterday?s practice. First, during a penalty-shot drill, defenseman Zdeno Chara skated within some 25 feet of the net and absolutely crushed a slapshot that hit goalie Tim Thomas [stats] inside the right thigh. Thomas immediately left in pain, but he quickly returned.
?It was just like a terrible slap up on the inside of my thigh - no major damage,? Thomas said. ?I?m just glad that?s all he hit.?
At the other end of the rink, goalie Manny Fernandez was facing tip-ins on shots from the point. One caught a finger on his right hand, and he rushed right off the ice to have it checked.
?Just a bruise,? Julien reported. ?He got the puck inside there on the hand - nothing serious.?
Shootout prep
The penalty-shot drill likely was an indicator of the seven players Julien will pick from when games reach a shootout. Yesterday?s group included Patrice Bergeron, Marco Sturm, David Krejci, Kessel, Peter Schaefer, Chara and Dennis Wideman.
?We might end up throwing some other guys in there at other times, too,? Julien said. ?We tried to make this like a reality shootout. The only thing I asked the guys was that they do something different every time they went in, so they can find out what works for them and what doesn?t. Sometimes there?s a tendency to try the same things, and sometimes you discover things you didn?t know you can accomplish, from different angles and things like that.?
WHO?S HOT For the Ducks, RW Corey Perry has 3-2-5 in five games, LW Chris Kunitz has 3-1-4 and D Francis Beauchemin has 0-4-4. For the B?s, C Patrice Bergeron has 2-0-2 in two games. G Tim Thomas [stats] stopped 35-of-36 shots in his lone start.
WHO?S NOT For Anaheim, C Rob Niedermayer and C Todd Marchant have just 0-1-1 in five games. For the B?s, RW Glen Murray is scoreless, and G Manny Fernandez yielded four goals on 18 shots in his start.
BOTTOM LINE The Ducks are missing a bundle of top players, but remain dangerous - although who knows how to calculate the effect of flying to London and back and playing three tough road games. They could come out sky-high, or utterly flat.
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Julien: Savard ?probably out?
Center Marc Savard rode the stationary bike and said he was feeling better, but his strained groin muscle still has him doubtful for tonight?s game against the Anaheim Ducks.
?He didn?t skate because he?s not ready,? Bruins [team stats] coach Claude Julien said. ?He remains day-to-day, but when you haven?t skated for two days, to be honest, he?s probably out (tonight). I?m not going to say he?s definitely out, because you never know.?
The ripple effect of Savard?s absence likely will send center Glen Metropolit from the fourth line to the top threesome. It?s also possible that third-line right winger Phil Kessel [stats] will see some action as the fourth-line center, and that Brandon Bochenski, a healthy scratch in the first two games, could see his first action.
?I don?t think you have to read too much into set lines,? Julien said. ?There?s room for me to move things around.?
Close calls
The Bruins had two momentary scares during yesterday?s practice. First, during a penalty-shot drill, defenseman Zdeno Chara skated within some 25 feet of the net and absolutely crushed a slapshot that hit goalie Tim Thomas [stats] inside the right thigh. Thomas immediately left in pain, but he quickly returned.
?It was just like a terrible slap up on the inside of my thigh - no major damage,? Thomas said. ?I?m just glad that?s all he hit.?
At the other end of the rink, goalie Manny Fernandez was facing tip-ins on shots from the point. One caught a finger on his right hand, and he rushed right off the ice to have it checked.
?Just a bruise,? Julien reported. ?He got the puck inside there on the hand - nothing serious.?
Shootout prep
The penalty-shot drill likely was an indicator of the seven players Julien will pick from when games reach a shootout. Yesterday?s group included Patrice Bergeron, Marco Sturm, David Krejci, Kessel, Peter Schaefer, Chara and Dennis Wideman.
?We might end up throwing some other guys in there at other times, too,? Julien said. ?We tried to make this like a reality shootout. The only thing I asked the guys was that they do something different every time they went in, so they can find out what works for them and what doesn?t. Sometimes there?s a tendency to try the same things, and sometimes you discover things you didn?t know you can accomplish, from different angles and things like that.?
